Continuous-screw press.



R. G. MERZ.

CONTINUOUS SCREW PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1907.

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R. G. ME RZ. CONTINUOUS SCREW PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1907.

898Q760. Patented Sept 15,1908.

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R. G. MERZ. CONTINUOUS SCREW PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1907.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

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CONTINUUUS SCREW PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1907.

898,760. Patented Sept. 15,1908.

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JIEJS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT G. MERZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PROCESS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

CONTINUOUS-SCREW PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied April 30, 1907. Serial No, 371,182.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT GEORGE MERZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of 57 Ninth avenue, Newark,Essex county, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement. in Continuous- Screw Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of the continuous screw press shown in the patent to Bussells, granted Dec. 26, 1905, under No. 808,193, and the object of my invention is to remedy certain defects in the construction of the press of said prior patent and to make the same stronger, more reliable and durable,

.and altogether more eflicient.

In the drawings: Figure 1 and Fig. 1 which are to be read together, show a vertical longitudinal section of the press, certain parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 shows an enlarged central section of the devices for feeding steam to the press body; Fig. 3 shows a. rear elevation of the frusto-cone and knives at the discharge end of the press; Fig. 4 shows an elevation of a screw bracket to which the screw blades are secured; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the extension frame of the press; Fig. 6 is a detail showing a means for securing the slats to the frame; Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1,

the star wheel being shown in elevation ,Fig. 8 is a detail showing the adjustable bearing for the driving worm; and Fig. 9 is ,a trans verse vertical section on the line of Fig. 1" of the bearings for the drivingworm.

I employ a cast bed plate A having a face A upon which rest the feed end of the frame of the screw press; Cast in one piece'with this part of the bed plate is an extension containing a trough A as shown in Figs. 1

' journal box B", B.

' tensions B slide back and and 9, which receives the worm B, a grooved bearing face A in and upon which the journal box B slides, and a recessed and apertured thrust block hearing A. The bed plate A is strengthened by various ribs as is usual in this class ofdevices.

The worm gear B is mounted on the ower shaft B. This bears at one end in the ame A and rests at the other end in the two-part The lower part of the journal box'B is supplied with wings or ex- 8) which may be caused to rth on the bearing face A manner I build u of the bed plate by means of the screws B to adjust the bearing. The upper half B of the journal box is secured to the lower half by screws in the usual way and is supplied with a cap B through which oil may e fed to the shaft bearings. A number of collars B surround the shaft B for the purpose of taking up the wear. But in order to obviate breakage of the parts in certain events, by reason of the enormous pressures involved, I use thrust blocks B on the shaft B Working in apertures in the bearing A which come into action in case the wearing collars B are used up or are otherwise destroyed. I also 4 employ an oil-feed and cap B, similar to the cap B To supply the worm itself with oil, I surround the same with an oil casing B which has cylindrical extensions B restin against the thrust block bearing A an against the .journal box B and has side flanges B resting on the base plate. A longitudinal slot B in the oil casing B. gives room for the passage of the gear wheel B which is driven by the worm. The oil, which floods the worm gear B, is carried onto the driving gear B and, dripping down on the inclined trough B is returned to the oil casing.

The gear wheel B is rigidly secured to the screw shaft 0. The thrust which this shaft exerts is in the direction towards the feed end of the machine and is overcome b shrinking a metal ring C upon the sha and by interposing between 1t and the face plate D secured to the machine frame one or more wearing rin s of different metals. To this screw shaft are secured brackets 0, having apertured, segmental collars C by means of which they are firmly bolted to the screw shaft. The brackets C also comprise a segment of a screw thread C to which the working screw faces 0 are bolted. In this a screw thread on the screw shaft which is exceedingly strong and yet cheap to manufacture and easy to assemble.

The frame of the press'remains of the same generalstructure as is shown in the Bussells patent. Briefly stated it consists of two semi-conical cages of the kind shown in Fig. 5 which are united along a median plane to form a com lets frusto-conioal cage.

Eachsemiconica cage is compound have added an extension curb which is of the exact structure shown in Fig. 5, and which is bolted to the main frame as shown in section in Fig. 1". The part of the frame of the press coterminous with the feed as shown in section in Fig. 1 is generally made cylindrical. This frame section at the feed end comprises legs D which extend from the connectin arms D to give a firm sup ort on the base p late A. The frusto conica frame is bolted to the cylindrical frame .just referred to, as shown in Fig. 1, and the. face late D is also bolted to this cylindrical fiame on the side opposite thereto, as also shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that the frame of the machine may be said to consist of the face plate D, of the flanged cylindrical frame section at the feed end, of the frusto conical portion and of the extension frame.

In order to effect the double function of stren thening the juxtaposed, parallel ,longitudlanl slats with which the inside of the press is lined and also of providing a shape of'slot between contiguous slats which will clear more readily, I adopt the construction indicated in Fig? 6. That is to say I use a strai ht slat D upon which rests an outward y beveled slat D which are bolted together and to each flange D on the machine frame. I have found that two separate slats give more strength than a single slat of double the thickness and I have further found that the shape of slot between the slats, as shown in Fi 6 is unusually eflicient for the purpose of c caring.

Coming back to that part of the frame of the machine in which the feeding is effected, I may say that it, like the rest of the machine, is made of two arts which are bolted together. The lower half is of thegeneral cage-like construction shown in Fi 5 with the legs D", shown in Fig.1, adde thereto. But the upper half of the frame consists of a feed-box casting E shown in Fi 7 which has a cylindrical quadrant E circu arly fitted to an inclosing the outer circumferential edge of the screw thread on its ascending side and a quadrantal feed-box E over that quadrant which re resents the descending sides of the screw on y. This casting E hasflanges E by means of which it is bolted to the lower half of the machine frame, and it has quadrantal flanges E which are bolted to the juxtaposed curved connecting arms D of the frusto conical part of the machine frame and to the face plate D, respectively. In this wa I secure a rigid structure which serves to ind together the parts of and to become a quadrant. A separate trou h or chute E is secured to the top of the fee box E. It will be understood that the material which is fed into this box moves downward with the screw since it covers that quadrant onl which is over the descending side or qua rant of the screw and that in so far as any material is carried upward by the motion of the screw on the right hand side of Fig. 7, the

star wheel E, which meshes with the screw threads, holds back this material and keeps it from getting into the path of the material \g hich is being freshly fed through the feed Coming now to the devices by which steam is feed to the hollow screw shaft for the urpose of passing out through perforations therein into the material being treated, we find that upon the standard F is mounted a stuffing-box F to which is bolted a collar F compressing a packin F, the screw shaft 0 rotating in the stu ng-box. thus formed. The valve F controls the steam supply. The steam on being admitted passes around the end of the shaft C and'then along the shaft and outward through the apertures C (Fig. 1') on the feed side of a lug G, which is secured within the screw s aft and divides it into two parts in a steam tight fashion. On the other hand the apertures C (Fig. 1") on the discharge side of this plug G ermit the moisture which is being expresse from the material being treated to get back to the hollow of. the screw shaft, where it accumulates and is finally passed off throu h the valve 0 at the end of the machine. that a stuffing-box C surrounds the screw shaft at the exit of the machine.

In order to blow out the screw shaft at its exit end for the purpose of removing any note solid matter which may become lodged therein, I em loy the steam blow-out pipe G which is rigi ly secured to and rotates with the plug G, this lug being in turn secured to the screw shaft The stuffing-box F has a hollow internal rojection F which serves as a bearing in wfiich the end of the blow-out pipe G opposite the plug G rotates. A

the steam supply pipe F, which is stationary and does not turn. The steam blow-out and within the projection F seen that by this means I secure a very strong pi pe G, however, turns upon the suptpgflpip:

' screw shaft C by a feather H together under great.pressure.

and rigid structure and one which is not liable to permit a leak in either of the two sepa rate sup lies of steam.

In or er -to change the degree of compression, I employ a coneH at the discharge end. This cone is cast in one piece with a cylindrical'sleev'e H, which is splined to the There is an internal screw thread on the rear end of the sleeve H which meshes with the thread on the tubular screw H The tubular screw H is free to rotate on the screw shaft 0 and is secured to a hand wheel H by a pin or in any other suitable way. Between the hearing H, which is secured to the base block of the pIress b standards H", and'the hand Wheel I p ace a ring H to prevent sticking of the parts at this'point whlch are being forced It will now be seen that by turning the hand wheel H the hollow cylindrical screw may be caused to thread farther into or out of the sleeve II, thus diminishing or increasing the distance between the cone and the rear or hearing face The pressure of the material under treatment acting against the cone H will always keep it forced to the right in Fig. 1", thus increasing the size of the a erture between the base of the cone and tfie circle formedby the ends of'the slats v atthe discharge end of the press to the maximum extent permitted by the state of adjustment of the handwheel. This adjustment can be made while the press is in operation and the screw shaft C is turning by taking care to turn the hand wheel H a little more rapidl than the screw shaft, if motion of the cone 111 one direction is desired, and b stopping the hand wheel fora moment, if

motion of the cone in the opposite direction ,is to be effected. In this way I can readily chan e'the size of the aperture between the cone and the ends of the slats at the exit end of the machine thus securing different degrees of compression by merely manipulating the hand wheel H, and this while the machine is in motion. Knives H are cast integral with the sleeve H and act to cut off the material as it comes out of the press to permit it to readily fall and be carried away.

I claim,

1. A contmuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, a frame can mg par- '7 allel slats and having legs, a cast be plate on which the legs are mounted, an integral exscrew and screw shaft, a frame cal-raving parallel slatsand'having legs, a cast b plate on parts, substantially as described.

which the legs are mounted, an integral exoil casing and meshing with the worm gear,

substantially as described.

3. A continuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, a frame carrying slats and having legs, a cast bed plate on which the legs are mounted having a trough, a slotted oil casing having side flanges resting on the bed plate and cylindrical extensions for supporting it in the trough, a power shaft carrying a worm gear rotating in the oil casing, and a gear wheel on the screw shaft passing through the slotted oil casing and meshing with the worm gear, substantially as described.

4. A continuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, a frame carrying parallel slats and having legs, a cast bed plate on which the legs are mounted, an integral extension of the bed plate containing a trough, a slotted oil casing supported in the trough, a

power shaft carrying a worm gear rotating in the oil casing, a gear wheel on the screw shaft passing through the slotted oil casing and meshing with the worm gear, and an in-' clined trough for returning the drippings from the gear wheel through the slot to the oil casing, substantially as described.

5. A continuous screw presscomprising a frame, a screw and a hollow screw shaft therewithin, a plug in the hollow shaft, a blow-out pipe secured therein and a steam supply pipe passing into the blow-out pipe and upon which the blow-out pipe rotates, substantially as described.

6. A continuous screw press comprising a frame, a screw and a hollow screw shaft therewithin, a plug in the hollowshaft, a blow-out pipe secured therein, a steam sup- 'piy pipe entering the blow-out pipe, a sleeve through which the su ply pipe passes, a bearing for the end of tlile blow-out pipe, and packing between the sleeve and bearing constitutin a stuffing-box for the parts, substantial y as described.

7. A continuous screw press comprising a frame, a screw and a hollow apertured screw shaft therewithin, a plug in the hollow shaft,

a blow-out pipe secured therein, a steam supply pipe'entering the blow-out pipe, a stuffing-box, packing and collar in which the end of the screw shaft rotates, a sleeve secured to the stuffing-box through which the su ply pipe passes, a projection within the stu gbox in which theend of the blow-out pipe turns, and a packing between the sleeve and projection constituting a Stufiing-box for the "8. A continuous screw press comprising a frame, a screw and a hollow apertured screw shaft therewithin, a plug in the hollow shaft, a blow-out pipe secured therein, a steam su ply pipe entering the blow-out pipe, a stu mg box in which the end of the screw shaft rotates, a sleeve secured to the stuffing-box through which the supply pipe passes, a hollow internal projection within the stuffing-- box in which the end of the blow-out pipe turns, and a packing in the hollow of the pro jection constituting a tight joint for the parts, substantially as described.

9. A continuous screw press comprising a screw, a screw shaft and a frame comprising a feed-end section having a cylindrical uadrant circularly fitted to and inclosing t e outer circumferential edge of the screw thread on its ascending side and rising into. a projecting face, a quadrantal feed box, over the descending side of the screw, of which the projecting face constitutes a part, and a rotating star wheel, meshin with the screw, pivoted on the projecting ace, substantially as described.

10. A continuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, a frame having legs, a cast bed plate on which the legsare mounted having a trough and a grooved bearing face, a shaft carrying a worm gear rotatin in the trough, a gear wheel on the screw sha t meshing with the worm gear, and an adjustable two-part bearing for the worm shaft sliding in the grooved bearing face, substantially as described. U

1 1. A continuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, a frame having legs, a cast bed plate on which the legs are mounted having a trough and a grooved bearing face, a shaft carrying a worm gear rotating in the trough, a gear wheel on the screw shaft meshing with the worm gear, and an adjustable two-part beari having wings sliding on and in the grooved aring face, substantially as described.

12. A continuous screw ress comprising a screw and screw shaft, a ame, a cast bed plate on which the frame is mounted having a grooved bearing face, a trough and thrust block apertures, a shaft carr ing a worm gear rotat' in the trough and t ust blocks taking wit in the apertures therefor, an adjustable bearing sup orted on the grooved hearing face for the s aft, and a gear wheel on the scarce screw shaft meshing with the worm gear,

substantially as described.

13. A continuous screw presscornprising a screw and screw shaft, a cage-frame carryin straight parallel slats, and outwardly bevele slatssupported thereon and bolted thereto to increase the strength and the clearance, substantially as described.

14. A continuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, a frame comprising longitudinal bars and flanged semicircular transverse connecting bars, straight parallel slats, outwardly beveled slats sup orted thereon and bolts connecting the straig t and beveled slats .to the flanges of the transverse bars, substantially as described.

15. A continuous screw press comprising a screw and screw shaft, brackets having a rtured segmental collars bolted to the s aft, and segmental threads, and working screw faces secured to the segmental threads of the bracket, substantially as described.

16'. A continuous screw press comprisin a frame, a screw and a screw shaft therewithln,

a cone and internally screw-threaded sleeve sliding on the shaft at the exit end, a rotatable tubular'screw meshing with the threaded sleeve at one end and a bearing for the opposite end of the screw to take thethrust, substantially as described.

17. A continuous screw ress com rising a frame, a cone and interns y screw-t readed sleeve s lined to the shaft at the exit end, a rotatabfe tubular screw meshing with the threaded sleeve atone end, a bearing for the opposite endof the screw to take the thrust, and a hand wheel or the like secured to the screw, substantially as described.

18. A continuous screw press comprising a frame, a screw and a screw shaft therewithm, a cone and internally screw threaded sleeve carrying knives sliding on the shaft at the exit en a rotatable tubular screw meshing with the threaded sleeve at one end and a bearing at the op osite end of the screw to take the thrust, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. H. HEssER, C. A. PIERCE. 

